Does a putt that bounces out of the hole count as a stroke?

Yes. You made the stroke, so it counts on your score, but there is no penalty. The ball is not holed, so you play it again from where it came to rest.

What if I grab the ball while it is still bouncing in the cup?

Then it counts as holed. Clarification Holed/2 says a ball removed from the hole while still moving, such as circling or bouncing in the bottom, is considered holed even though it never came to rest.

How long can I wait for a ball hanging on the lip?

A reasonable time to reach the hole, plus ten more seconds. If it falls in after that, it counts as holed with your previous stroke plus one penalty stroke (Rule 13.3a).

In match play, can my opponent concede the next putt after a bounce-out?

Yes. In match play a player may concede the opponent's next stroke. Once conceded, the ball may be removed by anyone (Rule 3.2b).

Golf Ball Goes in the Hole and Bounces Out: Is It Holed?

By Sports Answered Editorial Team Updated October 28, 2026 Expert review: pending

The rulingNot holed, play it as it lies

No. A ball that falls into the hole and bounces out is not holed. To be holed, a ball has to be at rest in the hole with the whole ball below the surface of the green. A ball that pops out never came to rest there (Rules of Golf, Definition of Holed).

Golfer putting toward a red flag on a green at Hollins Hall golf course in autumn — Photo: Stephen Craven, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

There is no penalty. The putt you just hit counts as a stroke, and you play the ball from wherever it stopped. The one way to keep that putt as holed is to take the ball out while it is still moving in the cup.

Diagram of six golf cases: at rest below the surface is holed, drops in and bounces out is not holed, lifted out while moving is holed, resting against the flagstick with part below the surface is holed, overhanging the lip means wait ten seconds, embedded in the side with part above the surface is not holed — Chart: six common "is it in?" situations and the ruling for each.

The two words that decide it: "at rest"

The Definition of Holed says a ball is holed "when it is at rest in the hole after a stroke and the entire ball is below the surface of the putting green."

The official clarification on this definition spells out the bounce-out case. Clarification Holed/2 says the words "at rest" are there "to make it clear that if a ball falls into the hole and bounces out, it is not holed" (Rules of Golf, Clarifications to Definitions). The USGA's own rules FAQ gives the same two conditions: at rest in the hole, and entirely below the surface (USGA Rules FAQ).

What to do next

Step	What happens	Source
1. Ball hops out and stops on the green	Not holed. No penalty	Definition of Holed; Holed/2
2. Count the putt	It is one stroke on your score, like any miss	Definition of Holed
3. Play the next putt	From where the ball came to rest	Definition of Holed; Holed/2
4. Stroke play	You must hole out before teeing off on the next hole	Rule 3.3c
4. Match play	Your opponent may concede the next stroke	Rule 3.2b

In stroke play, skipping the tap-in is the real danger. If you do not hole out and do not correct it before you play from the next tee (or before you return your card on the last hole), you are disqualified (Rules of Golf, Rule 3.3c). Stableford, Maximum Score and Par/Bogey formats are the exception; there, failing to hole out does not disqualify you.

Take it out while it is moving and it counts

Clarification Holed/2 has a second half that most golfers do not know. If a player removes a ball that is still moving in the hole, "such as circling or bouncing in the bottom of the hole," it is considered holed, even though it never came to rest.

So if your ball is rattling around the bottom of the cup and you lift it out, the putt counts as holed. Wait for it to bounce out, and it does not.

Ball hits the flagstick and bounces out

You may putt with the flagstick in the hole. If the ball hits the flagstick and bounces away, there is no penalty and you play it as it lies (Rules of Golf, Rule 13.2a(2)). It is the same answer as any bounce-out: not holed, next stroke from where it stopped.

Jack Nicklaus walking on the green near a yellow flagstick during the 2006 par-3 contest at Augusta National — Photo: pocketwiley, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The flagstick creates one exception to "entire ball below the surface." If your ball comes to rest leaning against the flagstick and any part of it is in the hole below the surface, it is treated as holed (Rule 13.2c). If no part is below the surface, it is not holed. If the flagstick is then removed and the ball moves, there is no penalty and the ball goes back on the lip.

Other near misses at the hole

Hanging over the lip. You get a reasonable time to walk to the hole and then ten more seconds. If the ball drops in that time, it is holed with your last stroke. If it drops later, it still counts as holed with that stroke, but you add one penalty stroke (Rule 13.3a).

Embedded in the side of the hole. A ball stuck in the wall of the cup with part of it above the surface is not holed, even if it touches the flagstick (Clarification Holed/1).

How big is the hole? The Definition of Hole sets it at 4¼ inches (108 mm) wide and at least 4 inches (101.6 mm) deep. If a liner is used, it must be sunk at least 1 inch (25.4 mm) below the surface of the green, unless the soil requires it to be closer to the surface.

Golf ball resting on the green a few feet from a flagstick with an American flag at Congressional Country Club — Photo: Carl Lindberg, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

Match play: a concession during the roll

In match play your opponent may concede your next stroke. Rule 3.2b adds a detail that fits this exact situation. A concession made while your ball is still moving applies to your next stroke, unless the ball is holed. So if your opponent says "that's good" as your putt is rolling and it then lips out, your next putt is conceded and your score for the hole includes it.

An opponent may also stop or deflect your moving ball to concede, but only when there is no reasonable chance it can be holed (Rule 3.2b).

If your putt bounces out and then hits another player's ball on the green, see what happens if your golf ball hits another ball on the green.

These rulings come from the 2023 Rules of Golf, published jointly by The R&A and the USGA, which the R&A site shows as current as of October 2026.

Quick questions

Does a putt that bounces out of the hole count as a stroke?: Yes. You made the stroke, so it counts on your score, but there is no penalty. The ball is not holed, so you play it again from where it came to rest.
What if I grab the ball while it is still bouncing in the cup?: Then it counts as holed. Clarification Holed/2 says a ball removed from the hole while still moving, such as circling or bouncing in the bottom, is considered holed even though it never came to rest.
My ball is leaning on the flagstick but not all the way in. Is it holed?: If any part of the ball is in the hole below the surface of the green, yes (Rule 13.2c). If no part is below the surface, it is not holed. Remove the flagstick, and if the ball falls in, replace it on the lip and play it.
How long can I wait for a ball hanging on the lip?: A reasonable time to reach the hole, plus ten more seconds. If it falls in after that, it counts as holed with your previous stroke plus one penalty stroke (Rule 13.3a).
In match play, can my opponent concede the next putt after a bounce-out?: Yes. In match play a player may concede the opponent's next stroke. Once conceded, the ball may be removed by anyone (Rule 3.2b).

Rulebook sources

Rules of Golf, Definitions (Holed; Hole), The R&A and USGAranda.org
Rules of Golf, Clarifications to Definitions (Holed/1 and Holed/2), The R&A and USGAranda.org
Rules of Golf, Rule 13 (Putting Greens), The R&A and USGAranda.org
Rules of Golf, Rule 3 (The Competition), The R&A and USGAranda.org
Rules FAQ: When is a ball considered holed?, USGAusga.org

Rule statements were checked against these sources on October 28, 2026. See a mistake? Read our corrections policy or email contact@sportsanswered.com.